Conrad Swanson

The East Ninth Project’s citizen advisory committee approved a draft of the project’s work plan Wednesday night, pending several amendments.

The East Ninth Project aims to renovate Ninth Street between Delaware to Massachusetts streets. Public artwork is to be integrated into the seven-block project.

The draft of the work plan outlines the project’s schedule, design process and artist participation model.

Proposed amendments to the draft include refining the project’s artist selection process and tweaking the schedule, allowing for more time to review work submitted by artists interested in working on East Ninth.

After much discussion, the committee, a group of 15 neighborhood, city and business representatives, approved the draft contingent on the proposed amendments.

Artist Dave Loewenstein and Phil Collison, representing the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, voted against the approval.

The design team’s Josh Shelton said an updated version of the work plan could be available as soon as next week.

Once the updated draft has been submitted and approved, the city can put out a request for qualifications, or RFQ, Lawrence’s Director of Arts and Culture Porter Arneill said.

Simply put, an RFQ is a call to artists seeking a statement of interest, resume and portfolio, Arneill said. It is the first step in selecting artists who will work on East Ninth.

From there, artists will go before an artist selection panel, which has not yet been finalized, Arneill said. The panel will consist of two arts professionals, three members of the citizen advisory committee, two members of the design team and one representative from Lawrence’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

The next advisory committee meeting will be at 7 p.m. June 24 in the Lawrence Public Library’s auditorium.